September 6, 2011

Among the Dakota, the Beloved Child ceremony marked the special, tender affection that parents felt toward a child whose life had been threatened. In Beloved Child, author Diane Wilson explores the work of several modern Dakota people who are continuing to raise beloved children: Gabrielle Tateyuskanskan, an artist and poet; Clifford Canku, a spiritual leader and language teacher; Alameda Rocha, a boarding school survivor; Harley and Sue Eagle, Canadian activists; and Delores Brunelle, an Ojibwe counselor.

Sustained by rich traditions, ceremonies, advocacy, and education, Dakota families are transforming the legacy of colonization and assimilation into a better way of life for their children.

As Diane writes, “Throughout Indian Country, there are signs of hope and healing. More Native people are learning their languages, returning to ceremonies, and insisting that indigenous culture is not second rate, not inferior, as so many generations have been taught to believe. As we return to our traditions, we begin to rediscover the ‘genius and brilliance’ of indigenous people, the long history of science, philosophy, art, agriculture, and spirituality created by sophisticated tribal societies.”

Please join us this Friday, September 9, at 7:00 p.m. for a very special event celebrating the publication of Beloved Child and honoring the people profiled in the book, who will be in attendance.

The event is sponsored by Birchbark Books but will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1917 Logan Avenue South, Minneapolis, at the northeast corner of Lake of the Isles in the historic Lowry Hill neighborhood.